4 Things You Don’t Need to Do Yourself When You Buy New Tech

Everyone can become skilled at tech thanks to the abundant resources available in the Digital Age. However, because tech is a wide and deep subject — and because tech changes every day — most people aren’t interested in devoting the time and energy necessary to know all there is to know about tech.

When you buy a new piece of technology, whether it be a smart television or an IoT tool, you don’t have to waste a day trying to get it just right. In fact, you don’t have to spend any time ensuring your tech functions just as you please. Here are a few tips and tricks for ensuring your new devices run smoothly from the moment you start using them.

Set It up

How you set up your new device could impact how it functions for the rest of its use. Often, during setup, devices will learn where you want data stored, how they can run efficiently, what other devices they should communicate with and more. Thus, it is imperative that you understand all the settings before you first turn your device on and that you be prepared to answer questions correctly from the get-go.

If you aren’t concerned about the settings of your device, you shouldn’t feel too intimidated to set it up yourself. However, if you are particular about the functionality you need, or if you expect to use your device in some professional capacity, you should look for experts in your area able to help. You might first turn to the manufacturer of your device, like Microsoft or Apple, who tend to offer free setup support online. However, you can also drop your device at a professional tech maintenance or repair shop to outsource the setup process entirely.

Register It

In days of yore, device registration was a step most tech users skipped. Registration seems meaningless: Why does the device manufacturer need your name and contact information? Don’t they already have access to that data?

In truth, skipping registration usually isn’t possible with the latest devices because they simply won’t run without some vital user identification. Fortunately, you probably won’t even notice registering your devices because all it takes is logging into a certain account. For instance, when you buy an Apple product, you merely enter your Apple ID, which is already linked with your name, email address, phone number and more. Thus, you shouldn’t need to waste time registering a device ever again.

Mount It

With larger tech, you need to mount it before you can use it. This is especially true of devices like televisions and sound systems, which need to be perfectly placed to deliver high-quality performance. However, mounting tech is a science and an art; it requires experience with certain tools and hardware, and it is best done by those who have experience in the field. Before you make a mess of your walls, ceilings and floors, you should call in an expert, who will mount everything flawlessly the first time. While some tech retailers do offer this service, you can usually find tech and TV mounting in Atlanta, Phoenix and other big cities for much cheaper from third-party professionals.

Maintain It

Tech is never set-it-and-forget-it. This is especially true of devices that connect to the internet or your home network; they require constant updates to remain secure against threats like hackers and malware. Most devices need cleaning and tune-ups, not unlike cars, to ensure they retain peak performance. However, maintenance tasks for tech can vary from simple to arcane — even within the same device family — so it’s often best for you to leave maintenance to the experts.

There are several ways you can outsource device maintenance. First, you can sign up for maintenance support from infosec firms like TrendMicro or Symantec. Usually, this gives these companies access to your device, so they can monitor performance and make adjustments to settings and software as necessary. Another option is to schedule maintenance with a tech repair shop, like you would for your car. Every few months, you’ll drop your device off at a local shop, where someone more experienced than you will take your device apart to clean it and run software to eliminate junk files and generally keep your device in tip-top shape.

Tech is increasingly advanced — but that doesn’t mean your knowledge of tech needs to progress accordingly. Long ago, people let go of the idea of maintaining their own cars, and it’s becoming obvious that we should be doing the same with tech. Once you release your need to control every step of using your device, you will be able to enjoy your tech more.